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12.27.2013

Whilst everyone else is enjoying their Christmas and New Year's break here I am scrummaging time to complete my 5K analysis on the Japanese movie Kamikaze Girls, which I found it so stimulating, profoundly the most Japanese in the 21st century, arguably to give a different view how people might see it as a very Westernised product (it is but it is still Japanese through shoka). Then as I'm still struggling to write my essay I even had take the time off to share this interesting tidbits of 'did you know' and 'who knew' through my research! Procrastinating at its finest.

While still professing my new love over the heroines of the movie, Momoko and Ichiko, especially a new light to Anna Tsuchiya because I thought she was a singer but she acts so well as a yankii?! She clearly embodies that haafu personality which the director did share how Tsuchiya emulated the character in new ways out of the script.

So much research is going on to this paper and I'm having the time of my life going through my bookstack it's not even funny as there's no holiday.

To underline what I found about the relations of shojo (girls, teenage girls, adolescent girls in the global view) and pink, aka the colour for girls, and drawn into the movie, here's a visual teaser:

THE CELEBRATION OF SHOJO (GIRLS) AND PINK AT ITS FINEST

Could you believe it, this 'scary woman' has a pink, vespa?

Pink is so prevalent in the movie, and Ichiko as the antihesis of Momoko the pinky girl wears, obviously, the genderized color blue against pink.

I suddenly remember Para Kissu (Paradise Kiss) and pink as it's also a very shojo story:

Off I went to Wikipedia and Answers to really get into the real answer why pink is for girls and always is associated by it, girl power... although I can't find the English text of Eva Heller's Psychology Book of Colours because she said that

"The golden age of the color pink was theRococo Period (1720–1777) in the 18th century"

I've found Natalie Wolchover added to my bibliography as it has answered another great relation from the Kamikaze Girls story itself - I mean, take a look:

As for why one color-gender pairing came to dominate over the opposite pairing, Paoletti argues that the rule we use today may reflect the influence of French fashion. Traditional French culture paired pink with girls and blue with boys (while Belgian and Catholic German culture used the opposite), and because France set the fashion in the 20th century, their tradition held sway.

"This happened during a time when mass marketing was appearing," Cohen told Life's Little Mysteries. "Being'gender normal' is very important to us, and as a marketing technique, if retailers can convince you that being gender normal means you need to buy a certain product — cosmetics, plastic surgery, blue or pink clothing, etc. — it just makes sense from a production or mass marketing perspective - Source

Well, the five elements I chose that contributed the success of the movie as a transnational cinema, includes fashion and the new market of girls, the teenage boom. It was ridiculously appealing for production and consumption and within Japan especially, was the nonstop destination of affluent purchasing of luxury goods in the 90s, even for Western brand to establish exclusive 'labels' only available in the country. Moreover, Lolita fashion is about Rococo and our main star in the movie professes her soul to have lived within the Rococo era.

Mind-blowned at the moment to have discovered this integral aspect - thanks to my oddly curious thought to why Ichiko's vespa has to be pink out of all colors because she's... tough.

What a feat to find the red line between all this, the girl market has never been so dynamic, fragmented yet one brings it altogether, one here is by just the color.

Back to the essay now, clearly having new lights and materials to manifest the thoughts.

11.13.2013

I would have to eliminate warm, fuzzy, human feelings and change into a state of humanoid - without feelings.

"We evolved a psychological system of emotional attachment" (from Manson) and this is exactly what I would have to work towards to eliminate it. For one year. Just one year.

Can anyone give me a crash course to be a complete "cold-hearted player" for 1 year?

I have to, or else I won't be able to reach to my end target and make the world warmer than ever in this freezing hell made by the people who loves money bloody damn too much more than the value of their own soul.

And even though I've gone through it, "it’s not changing any time soon" either.

Loved Mark Manson's article (although I wonder why there is a point in writing this and people so helpless because you're suppose to realise it itself, aka. control your body and not your body controlling your mind, like self-help books because it has to be done by the insides of you) and I've used it to this entire write-up. But really, he is my hero, 'nuff said <

If you really want to spiral in with me, this is exactly how I feel - Tablo has probably viewed in different problem (heck cares where we graduate or not, I'm still with him) but the lyrics are all the same state of being emotionless and what's in the future without oxygen. This song has been a favorite of mine and now the lyrics even made more sense in the journey I'm now drowning. Human made, human consequences. Read, consume, lyrics, carefully.

11.03.2013

Spot Liberty? My mind is in this mess. How can you not be in the world today?

In just 5 weeks enrolled in school for my MA course, I have gotten all my curiosities and answers I needed about life, culture, and of Japan (as my specialist region lies in Asia, Japan was my ultimate source of curiosity and inspiration to why they are the 'finest' breeds of all society in Asia).

6 hours of class per week, the entire week dedication of borrowing and reading books from the reading week.

My life-deepening curiosities were (some related to how to rise cultural capital and creative industries):
1. How Japan rose and became 'The Asia' and be in par with the benchmark against Western 'culture'
2. Why is the world is as is today?
3. The vulnerability of the now generation and the bleak future for the next gen
4. Why is the no. 1 media and entertainment content has and always been America? Is it because its in English?

And, I found those and found much, much, much more to put me into insanity

10.08.2013

Know if or not know it, I've moved to London for postgrad studies dad's been pestering of me going out of the house or else...but all in all I've arrived and started everything and got, a fresher's flu. A freshie in the West in the fall weather and down with a wet nose to welcome me (amidst the honestly friendly weather of sunshine and wind that's totally human).

It's definitely going to get a lot colder than this so this is a good welcome, better now than later in the middle of the semester which has chuckloads of reading to do...

Talking about beauty is another entire database of research and perception.

Eastern values still remain intact with me, although I live as an individualistic, introverted, metropolitan single that wishes to remain silent, until another being throws in the question for me to react to it, which is almost found in every first world metropolitan city and means it has been under the Western culture.

With more women not having more integrity for themselves. As simple as my Hall friend A says,

"I think first, if I were to do this, I would think that if my dad walks in out of nowhere and no news right now what I'm doing, will I be able to casually say, 'Hi Dad, what's up?', then it's good. But if I can't do it, then, well I won't do it."

And this is as concise and simply said. I won't have face if my dad knows things I would feel uncomfortable if he knew. His colleagues knew. My mom. Demoralise. We're Asian so we still have to keep the Eastern respect. If I respect myself then I could face my dad in all circumstances of what I do.

It's amazing how Billy Ray actually approves his daughter's artist's current image-reconstruction, so I would respect on that that "She's Still My Miley" (however the moment I was watching Wrecking Ball I was squeasy in my seat - her dad can watch it too and well, his full-grown daughter is swinging without clothes, so).

What would you do? I'm just keeping my self-check sane and integrity alive and to keep the Eastern heritage of respect going for teenage girls, and it's what strongly I believe in as a mission.

Next time I'm writing it'll be a whole new light on Asian culture, the study of the cultural industries and whatever I'm on fa-i-ah sitting in as a pupil again! But, chunk-sized bites on lecture notes on Tweetah, for those who are interested in the subject, mention away!

7.01.2013

It would be really bad if SM Entertainment is really the Sadomasochist Entertainment. Everything gone wrong.

The news that broke out how Yura was protested by wearing costumes that could answer an ad that needs "an S&M model, in your teens, for a photoshoot" in Japan piqued me to watch the video.

Watching the video, its forgivable if BEG replaces the 4 girls. They clearly know better how to play the eye being women, and not girls.

I was squirming in discomfort while watching. So teenagers, right? 16 onwards. Arguing fairly, Britney Spears debuted when she was 16-17. Then her first full body latex suit came and that's sex enough to sell. But now anyways, Teen Mom is for 16YO. But sorry folks, that's the west.

Why was I watching with my nails biting? It's still in the Asian context. I know Japanese are the best in selling their body like naked sushis but I suppose they're the first westernised country ever, and it's also still uncomfortable to watch (You're a brother. Your younger sister prancing with her cleavage and thighs out in her own room following the MV and you happen to pass her room with the door ajar. So how do you feel?)

That's for me. I was searching on the right word of black lacy suits and S&M came to my mind, searching for images when I found Rihanna's image. I didn't know THAT song that played along 2011 was that song! (Told you I was absolutely Asian and I have no idea what western music is out there) and it was titled, 'S&M'. Kinbaku below!

But she did it in a candy colorful I'm a Harajuku kawaii kid way and screaming while being bonded... is there anything right in this anymore? It's Rihanna, she's still young but anyway, forgiven because she's a westerner.

This is the reason why I left western music in the first place; there isn't anything to watch for a then 14 year-old girl in wanting to watch something inspiring with good, honest lyrics. Think it's a scary world of exposure how one day you might see your little sister trying to bind herself thanks to a lot of hentai animes out there.

BACK TO THE VIDEO... Well, those office blinders says one thing that those activities are possible when maknae and BF Tony An meets. Midnight gratification, it's not that hard to point it out. Although, these girls and the rest of the K-pop Mattel Inc. can get away with aegyo.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiight? You're a boyfriend, you have this uber cute Asian girlfriend, let alone you dream of that K-pop ido lbeing your GF, and her contact lens oogly Pussy in Boots eyes just start to water and you have to stop those tears from dropping. Yikes!

Then, it shows girl domination - sorry, grrl domination in the lyrics how girls can approach the guy first and kiss him. The grabbing of blinders are more than enough. The silhouette of them unclothe and tossing their clothes out means something else. Presidents to shut down girls' self esteem to be comfortable in 'selling herself' and say that 'sex is okay'?

In this modern era i's considered OK with the mega babble of the media and broadcast but with my Eastern heritage and my project that serves girls and their parents a G content to empower them, maybe I'm in the wrong century. I live like a grandma, but I guess I've always been the salmon that fights the current of the river.

And you think you can get away with your pussy eyes for forgiveness? If you feel shit then that's your conscience tugging you.

Not the girls' fault, it's the entertainment/ concept/ trend-followers. But, as a whole in a cultural point, it keeps showing how they're ready for the crossover on entertainment - sex.

5.29.2013

Please allow me to just reflect the two-week-business-trip to Singapore whirlwind in this post. Amazing, crazy, hectic, back-to-back, 'nonstop', and the list goes on, really. I've gotten a truckload of things from physical goodies, sponsor bags, and FILES AND FILES OF NOTES from various events and business conferences I attended.

one thing i regretted: FORGOTTEN TO DO THE CLASSIC HOME ALONE FACE WITH HIGA!

The two weeks was filled with master classes and talks on how to embrace and rule the social media world, the internet platform, and where it's going. After horrendous non-stop live tweeting of my life I am abstaining for a couple of weeks (sadly I'd still have to be active on Tweets are still on for article tweeting and my deadline for all of this!) to rest my eyes.

This is what everyone wants to do to me on Facebook after picture uploading...

5.25.2013

Toshinobu Kubota's song which was apparently a hit before the millennium year started just got my heart on nonstop loop.

How did this come about? I had SHAZAM a cover of this song in English, thinking it is an English song, thinking that it was an original. Turns out after doing some research on it... I finally found the origin of the song, the amazing original live version, and realising that the clock in my house plays this melody! THE SONG WAS CLOSER TO ME THAN I HAD THOUGHT, wow!

Way to go BENI, I loved your cover so ba a a ad.

Now I love Kubota's live version too.

one comment say: BEST AFRO EVER. I AGREE. LIKE THE COOLEST JAPANESE SHIZZ.
Good Saturday!

2.10.2013

Should I say I'm a liberal woman, I'm a free woman, I'm an emancipated woman from Asia, this is something important as I am well up and standing today in this modern era.

Updated: Another website but not in relation to the middle-up society in most developing/developed countries portray the urgency for the need for attention in this 21st C. - it might not be our problem to meddle but it's the dreams those every little girls posses before they even get to dream, can't do due to tradition. I've signed it, what's your say? > Too Young To Wed

I now am 20 this year and with my life scope, experience, and current standings and upbringings, modern media and perceptions clearly redefine life, especially for Asian women. I'm Asian, I'm a woman, which path should I go - chase my stars, or let low and feel the grounds?

20 and forever 19 at heart. No one does this sht except Asians. <3 span="">3>

50 years ago, our grandmas would've been married by the time she was 14 and had her first child (only child for people in the Republic of China). They didn't know about education, life, and continued to serve her husband, the man of the house.

Today, where I am standing as well in the position of an Asian woman and educated within the western structure as well as to it being exposed, our demands, aspirations and willing to follow our ancestral lead in life.

Women used to be the last resort for anything, and is not given chance to expand their horizons. Sometimes, it might be a better case to leave work for men because now the workforce is so competitive, both men and women now are vying for the last space of the chair to get hired.

What if women kept on following their parents' wish to stay home and do housework? Perhaps the workforce will not have this kind of beguiling, competitive, dynamic, overwhelming industry. But today, we are also in pursuit to be successful in the career ladder, and thus, priorities in life, is re-arranged.

Marriage used to be a must and is sacral; we now see non-married couples living together like a married couple. Now, Asian women, whom is taught to get hitched no matter what, is also following the business-minded footsteps for gender equality like any Western and decides to focus on their career over family. Article provides relevant changes and facts in today, and it's not absent among in my country as well.

A lot of feminists strive to put females to be equal as males.

Or, the fact that the male population is a little on deplete because it's a "cat eat cat and dog eat dog world" where men dates other men, leaving women empty-handed and thus goes on with getting another women.

I was in an arts school where our liberated minds do not put discrimination against; rather as the very best friends anyone can ever have. Trust me - I can enjoy my time much better in gay parties compared to a regular club. Global Times has pinned it down and I only could laugh while reading it ("ahoy, that's me in the situation! Love my boys")

20 is a start of a redefining decade - there's no more TEEN in my years, it's time to get even more serious. Like, serious. Pretty serious. I take my life pretty seriously or me in doing everything and having the label "being the youngest successful ________" in it because I have what everyone do not have - youth and age number. Something that can let me through the finish point.

And now I'm halfway to be 21 - legal to do anything.

The issue came up when I emigrated home for a year break before continuing my studies later this year. Aunties, moms, and moms' friends would say "Hello, so do you have a boyfriend?" and in fact, today would be some informal seogaetting going on. I wouldn't mind - it's a way to meet people and do networking for I work from home. As a home kid, I rarely go out.

But the little nags and prayers for it gets to me pretty well and I understand that I'm still Asian and the even bigger fact I'm the only daughter in the house of course, makes my mom worried. (Thanks dad for not pestering and instead underlining my education and work is important, dating is another priority).

Asian. Marriage. Women. Life.

A friend of mine got married last year, age 19. Another one at 20. Another one prior to the end of her studies hitched at 21. I'm not complaining, it's them, why not? Life as Lady of Leisure is something I want as well - who doesn't want to live the big LL (living large) and be a tai-tai?

2.08.2013

I went in August, and here I am backtracking for a #laterpost (in following to #latergram) from last summer's trip around the EU. Remember the big mess I had in preparing for my trip? Well this was the outcome.

Tanning is the title because of the crazy heat that has targeted Europe to be a very hot ground. Not blaming, it made the beaches of Cannes look glorious with lots of ripples and sparkles from the sun. It was so beautiful and ... when you are there (don't enjoy the ladies bathing, enjoy the seaview lah) the very azure blue ocean is simply mesmerizing. (apart from that, my FB album is also called 'Greatest Tanning Trip of Le Life' and I turned 20% darker than usual for my arms).

I still hate the hot weather. Which is why 3 hats accompanied me, and two of them are showstoppers because of the size (see below).

Winter's absolutely game over in the tropics and I'm sourcing for new inspiration for the colors and layers of the summer! Within my natural instinct, I head back for my 16-day tripping under the hot sun and managed to wear all the heels I wanted without feeling that I was the tallest in class. It's EU, I feel small.

Think a truckload of lemons (shoes, accessories, pins, dresses, jackets, hats) and is skimmed through to make lemonades + honey (accessories and the extra oomph of fakq) = squeeze of the summer for the azn girl on holiday and turning 20 on the plane. I meant, on the way to the plane airport. Here's #WIW...LY.

(whatiworelastyear)

Morocco King's palace; and the tomb of one of the wives in the olden days with the very cool guard with his sniper.

2.04.2013

My last summer in Singapore
(June 2012, ha) was filled with work, and great fun! What's more than to kill time to dress
models (friends) who has the height, waist, and edge of ‘tude I always possess
except the size of the clothes.

For a long-time acquaintance and favorite shopping place who has a magazine,
ActuallyMAG launches a styling competition called Project X (Project Expose for
long).

I didn’t win, but it was great fun to have at least a permanent set of team
to do the photoshoot out and indoors! Here are picks of my favorites.

1.31.2013

Sitting down likka boss on top of the ship that carried my tour package group, we headed to sail over the UNESCO protected, chilly, breezy, and lovely Halong Bay that's rich with amazing seafood and stalactite and mites sites (although the ones in China are absolute grandeur and other places I forgot that was amazing).

So shine bright... tonight... I translated literally onto the clothes prepared like a normal Jap teen. It's been a while!!!!!!!!! *don't know how much I was excited for winter weather, peeps. I felt home*

What can be considered as luxury? Most will immediately trace their dreams to tote a monogram bag. I, on the other hand, think not.

Having lunch over the seas in a rare place on earth, on the boat, with the view, and eating my heart out, is the best thing ever in life and the best to end 2012! (See how late I'm posting this)

It was 30.12.12. Where were you?

The boat that took us away!

What was so astounding on set was S was sporting a white jacket (I only wore on daily) and the wool hat we bought at the same street shop the day before in Hanoi. How similar and how cute!

1.28.2013

The proud emblem batch all tour guides wear in their shirt. [via Instagram]

It was a very small gesture - literally something you can buy loads, but because the gesture was like no other (Sony is really the first technological brand in my heart, they sure be most charmed their TM is everywhere).

My Cambodian tour guide, a young graduate who's been in service for maybe less than 2 years, and leads tours that's conducted in English and Korean (yes, he said "I sing Gangnam Style better than Cambodian songs") has prepared on the last day, those tourist keychains we saw usually in the markets.

At first, I said, "Wow, the tourism org. here must be awesome, they have prepared this to give to all the tourists."

Yep, my tour guide. Laudable effort.

Maybe it is the case, but more and more it has lead that my tour guide (so sorry I forgot your name) has actually bought it for us and shared it to all the passengers. It was small, sweet, and memorable - the value was very little, but the memory is etched in my service 101 book forever.

Take advantage, tourism ministers, of your local manufacturers (especially China, Indonesia, India, all of ASEAN) to really push and train your ambassadors for they're the first contact with foreigners who'd like to understand a culture, a society, a country. On the serving side, one needs to have 110% open heart and passion to follow through.
Might be the reason why I'm not scared or to visit back the country again one day... hospitality is the number one case.

All smiles to the hot ASEAN country! (squinting of the sunbeam in Siem Riep's Palace too)

1.26.2013

In the streets of Hanoi, motorcycles are dominant, thin buildings are present everywhere.

It's amazing how humans have build upon the society with conscience and perception of things that are different according to race, culture, location. I spent the last days of 2012 and first few days of 2013 along the tourist destinations of the adjacent countries Cambodia and Vietnam, one hot, and the latter chilly for Ha Long Bay.

Set aside those tourists places over here for light notes and insertion of OOTD/WIWT posts and scenic shots, anyone can go click on the search engine and see quality photographs of Angkor Wat, Halong Bay, the city, the people, and at a glance you'd be acquainted with yellow to tan skin looking people working and continuing on their lives.

What was a great takeaway of this trip was the most informative tour leaders aroundand how they have used their lives as hard truths and stories on how they live.

Looks like a developed city, but honestly within their grounds, not.

There never has been in my travelling with packages and arranged tour leaders who definitely gets commissions on places we go to be this frank, and so upon my dad's tumultuous inquiries on 'how much is the land here?' along with 2 other men in the bus, because of his property background, land became a story that we didnt much know about in Vietnam.

So, Vietnam. How much did I know about the country before? I only knew Pho noodles which I totally love and can eat every day (rice made to noodles. thin beef brisket, fresh aroma of the soup... and rarely found in my living location)... as well as a book about Vietnam cuisine by Bobby Chinn, the interracial chef - one of his roots is having some Vietnam blood and I got the book from the man. I read the preface and history snippets (forget the recipes, definitely no time doing).

But no, upon learning, their lives are so trivial - using American dollars like their own currency, living in tall thin houses, and yet they still can enjoy the higgledy-piggledy of its traffic...